Song of Heroes
by I Am Alys
Summary: Five hundred years. It took her five hundred years to choose the man that would bring me to my knees. I am glad I was able to last this long, and it is no secret that everyone will miss me. I see no reason why I should fight it. This is a curse placed on me by a god. No one has been able to reverse a curse before. I don't see why I should try now. Percy/OC
1. Chapter 1: Curse of the Hybrid

Chapter 1

Curse of the Hybrid

"Aphrodite!" Peisinoe screeched at the sky, the beautiful paleness ignored by the heartbroken female. "Why did you make me fall in love with Apollo! Why must I love my child!" The siren pounded the sand furiously, the small clouds only clouding her vision further than her tears.

"Damn wench! Cursed whore! I want my child, Zeus!" She screamed, her fingers digging into her scalp. "I want my love and child back!" She demanded.

"Quiet your mouth before I blast you to hell." Peisinoe was thrown back at the angry presence of a god, her tears not clouding the beauty of the goddess of love.

"Aphrodite." She gasped, surprised. Peisinoe suddenly wished she had kept her mouth shut, but she didn't regret her words. No, she was too proud for that.

"It's your fault you're in this situation!" The goddess growled, her anger only making her much more beautiful. "As for you poor insults I see no point in placing a curse on you with you on this island." No sooner had these words left her perfect lips that a wicked idea came to the goddess of love.

"But your daughter is free to." And her revenge set.

Pure fear entered the siren's features. "No, goddess!" She threw herself at the immortal's feet, hopping to change Aphrodite's mind. "Please, do anything you want with me but leave my daughter out of it!" She begged fiercely.

"This only encourages me, more." Aphrodite admitted. "She'll be a hunter, that Nerissa. There will be enough time for me to make her fall in love with a boy who won't love her back…yes, that's perfect isn't it? It's a shame a beauty like her gets the dark side of me."

"No, please no! Anything! Anything to me, but leave Nerissa out of it! Please, she's my daughter!" Peisinoe clutched her chest, panic making her heart race.

"That's the problem." The goddess said, staring at the pitiful sight of the beautiful siren and proud that such a genius idea came to her. "Oh well, I must go and pick said partner."

"No!" But Aphrodite had vanished. "No! No! No! No! No!" With every word, Peisinoe's fists collided with the sand. "Apollo! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Apollo!" She exclaimed, giving up.

The blond god placed a hand on Peisinoe's back at his appearance, and he cradled her as she cried herself dry. His own eyes threatening to overflow with moisture.

"There's nothing I can do, Peisinoe. Nothing. I'm sorry." Because gods couldn't meddle with their children's lives.

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**-Grey  
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	2. Chapter 2: The Bloody Prince

Chapter 2

The Bloody Prince

"Hah, hah, hah." The adrenaline was fading from my system, the boost of strength and speed vanishing and leaving me gasping and lightheaded.

I fell to my knees, the strong smell upsetting my stomach and causing my breakfast to resurface.

My body continued to convulse for a while; despite the only substance leaving my throat being acid and no solid.

After my disturbing ordeal, I pushed myself away from the ground and landed on my lower back. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and closed my eyes to calm my spinning vision.

I turned onto my knees and hands, and slowly crawled away from my mess to look around the hall; the red color blinded me and caused me to wipe my eyes with the heel of my palms.

The color refused to go away.

Confused, I continued my attempts of rubbing away the dye from my vision. I was failing and began creating panic that only restricted my throat and chest.

My head swung back and forth, my heart beating rapidly and eyes narrowing at the gore. I couldn't escape it.

I threw up liquid and acid, the thin substance burned my throat and left a foul taste in my mouth.

Was this really happening?

"Phoebus?" The word left my lips and my only personal light I found was several feet southeast from me, and I scrambled to my feet to reach it.

Unfortunately, my rushed actions caused me to slip and land on my knees and elbows roughly. I grunted as the pain rushed up my arms and thighs and tried to pick myself up again.

A still figure to my right caught my eye and I regretted looking towards it to this day.

Her eyes were clouded over with a milky substance, but this didn't cloud the fear etched on her face, or the blood escaping her pale lips.

I screamed.

I pushed myself away and bumped into another body. This one was male, and his features were frozen in the same contortion as the woman's.

I yelled.

Everywhere I turned I saw another face, another set of eyes, another still body.

How horrifying it was.

I yelled out my throat and cried. An incredibly long span of time passed while ugly pictures of blood and gore burned at the back of my vision. My body continued to contract with sobs as I tried to escape the reality around me.

"Phoebus." I whispered, my voice gone and humanity returning. "Phoebus." I tried to ignore the eyes following me and reached for the twisted body, hope swirling in my chest and quickly dropping to my stomach as reason caught up to me.

No person could mistake him alive.

Not even my diluted eyes could hide this fact from me. The only thing left for me to do is cry.

So I did. I cried and yelled, and sobbed, and desperately tried to wake the still body in my arms.

His hair was running through my hands, the light brown strands tickling my fingers.

"Phoebus..." I tried to call out to him. To bring him back to the world with only words. But he only stared at me with still eyes, the look so horrifying it contrasted with his angelic features and left me cold to the core.

I needed to stop that look.

My fingertips pushed down his eyelids, the thin skin slowly moving with my touch despite the amount of strength I used.

Because he was beginning to stiffen.

"Maiden," I jumped, surprised I hadn't noticed the group of females entering the red hall.

"W-Who are you?" I stuttered, blinking away the bright light of the sun from my eyes.

Multiple forms walked around me, their hands flew to their noses and some exited to empty their stomachs in the same fashion I did earlier. A stronger female lead a group of girls to a pile of bodies and began pulling them away.

"H-Hey-!" I tried to protest, my voice hoarse and suspicion making the hair on my arms rise.

"You are a female...yet you are...dressed like a boy." I blinked, the girl's voice making my head snapped towards her and stop. I blinked again, the sun creating a halo behind her head. I squinted, her features beginning to come to me. She was small-

"You speak like a boy-,"

-her frame was thin yet strong.

"You move like a boy-,"

Her eyes-

"Yet you are clearly a girl."

Her eyes-

"No one can disguise that soul shining through your eyes."

Her eyes were-

"You have suffered... You are a worthy maiden. Join me," She extended her small hand, and pure shock filled me to the marrow of my bones.

Her eyes were-

"Get away from this mess, Xerxes," It was only later that I wondered how she knew my name, but then again, the gods know everything, don't they?

"Artemis." That's right... Her eyes-

The corner of her mouth lifted. "Yes. Join me, Xerxes. Join the Hunt. You'll never have to come back again. We'll take you away."

Her eyes were the color of the moon.

* * *

I threw the small book away from me, my renewed experience causing nausea and pain. How could they twist my actions? How could they believe I made all of that mess? That...that sin.

I swallowed thickly, fingering the charms on my bracelet and letting the faint pictures dance in front of me.

I breathed out slowly, calming my heart and taking caution in touching the small book again. I shouldn't take it with me. It was a book of pure evil with lies, death, and ghosts.

But I couldn't leave it.

That small book, despite giving me so much pain, I found myself bound to. It kept me sane, even if only little. It was a lie yes, but it inspired me to continue living despite the fate of a twisted life.

Quickly, I stuffed the palm-sized book into my bag and tied it shut before the negative emotions entered my system and affected my mood.

I threw the small bag of belongings over my shoulder, tied it around my chest, and walked out of the tent. I stopped as everyone else did. They all stared and an emotion I couldn't identify rushed to my eyes and stomach.

I didn't like the stares they gave me, so I spun on my heel and walked eastward. I could feel their stares at my back, and I was tempted to stop and return.

But I couldn't. And they knew it too.

It was only when I was at the edge of the camp did I stop and look over my shoulder. Everyone, all of the Hunters had stopped their daily chores to watch me leave.

My heart pounded as the seconds ticked by, but then an action occurred. An action so ancient and powerful only pure happiness filled me as it went on.

Every Hunter, simultaneously as if taken over by spirits, raised their right hand to their forehead palm outward, brought it down to their heart in an arc, flipped it under their ribs, and bowed at the waist as the back of their hands landed on their right hip.

It was an action that sent good luck and a beloved farewell.

I bowed, hands clenched at my sides to stop the tears from escaping my eyes. I rose and placed a hand over my heart, signaling my gratitude before turning and leaving.

Refreshed and energized, I increased my pace to a run and traveled towards Olympus.

* * *

I arrived at Camp Half-Blood sweaty and warm. The sun was sinking into the ocean on my right and there were few campers around.

I walked through the barrier and began searching for Chiron. I faced no difficulties and stepped onto the Big House porch before knocking on the front door.

My heart began to pound for no apparent reason and I clutched the handle of my dagger, Aima, to comfort me.

The door opened and I looked up into the brown eyes of a long time friend. Upon recognizing me his jaw dropped, and I began to blush as the power of his gaze continued to stay focused on my face.

"Good evening, Chiron." I dipped my head, and the centaur jumped as if startled.

"Good evening, Xerxes." He stared a moment longer before shaking his head and stepping aside.

"Please, come in."

I did, the stiff actions of the older male not slipping my attention. I walked into the living area and politely declined Chiron's offer of a seat. I continued to stand and I took in the greek decor before settling my gaze on the centaur.

"Chiron...I received my blood." He sighed so deeply, I almost believed he would deflate and fold into himself. "I didn't believe it could be so painful." I admitted.

"Of course. There would be no other reason for you to be here unless Artemis gave you a mission. Is it alright...if I knew who he was?" I blushed, my heart floating to my ears and the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Ah..um..." I became lightheaded and I fingered the charms on my right wrist to keep me planted. "Percy Jackson." I admitted, finding myself incapable of looking him in the eyes. The name was sweet on my tongue and my thoughts began to drift.

Chiron's voice brought me back.

"Yes, I feared as much." I felt his gaze pierce the side of my face, and tears welled up in my eyes as what I feared to hear came. "It is Annabeth. She and Percy..."

"I know." I didn't. But I needed to say something. Something to make him stop. "I am grateful to Artemis for allowing me to stay a hunter for the last thirteen years... But even she cannot hold me back from my fate." With a force I was surprised I could muster I stopped studying the small plant on my left and looked him in the eye.

"I will stay in Camp Half-Blood for my calling. I will only leave during the summer and winter months to help you search for half-bloods for the war." We stared at each other for a moment. Studying each other's expressions and judging our emotions. "Allow me to stay, Chiron." The words had left my lips before I realized I was begging.

A pause. Then he sighed. "Of course, Xerxes. You are like a daughter to me. You are welcome here."

I exhaled, not realizing I had been holding my breath. "Nerissa." I said, blushing and avoiding Chiron's questioning gaze. "Thirteen years ago...on the day of Percy Jackson's birth..." I blinked. Hard, to stop my thoughts from morphing against my will. "my father gave me his memories of my...conceivement," I blushed but continued, "and the theories to my abilities.

"Aphrodite's original curse and my prophecy were involved." I flicked my wrist, the charms made of silver clanking against each other and ringing out like small bells. There were twelve charms, each representing an Olympian god.

Aphrodite's dove held the memory of her curse, my father's glinting sun held the memory of my mother announcing her birth along with his theories of my powers, and... Artemis was kind to allow the memory of my prophecy to lie dormant in the twinkling crescent.

"It is beautiful." He commented, and I tore my gaze away from the delicate craftsmanship.

"Yes, it is." I agreed, smiling slightly.

"Not the bracelet. Your name." I blushed, feeling slightly thrilled at the statement.

"Yes." I admitted with a whisper. "But... Nerissa Hero Seirina, does seem too feminine for me... not to mention a mouthful," I mumbled, not used to the length of such a name, even if it did roll off the tongue. " I think... I think Hero will be just fine." I muttered, glad at least part of my mother would stay with me.

Chiron smiled. A smile that made me feel young and childlike. "Alright, Hero. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

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